Two Nerdy History Girls Minus One

Unexpected events have obliged historical fiction author Susan Holloway Scott to be absent from the forthcoming Two Nerdy History Girls session. That leaves me. While I cannot be the Two Nerdy History Girls (Susan & I have different strengths and areas of focus), I plan to do what I can, with the help of my host, Ashland Library Director Meena Jain. We’ll chat about my books, the research that goes into them, and the thrills and chills of exploring history. (Well, historical research is thrilling and chilling to me.)

Please go ahead and bring questions. I’ll answer to the best of my ability as a solo act. And we'll all look forward to having Susan back at a future session.

Details, details: Monday 5 January 7:00—8:00 PM Online - Zoom

More info here.
To register: https://tinyurl.com/apl-loretta-chase

Program sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library, collaborating with a multitude of Massachusetts Libraries to bring this program to their communities.

Happy New Year!

Image (public domain) by George Wolfe Plank for Vanity Fair magazine, November 1917 or October 1913 (depending on the source), with my slight interference.

2025 saw the release of the third Difficult Dukes book. After much whining and beating-head-against-wall, I turned My Inconvenient Duke into an actual book. It went out into the world, was greeted with kindness and affection, and I—and all those who have to deal with me—celebrated.

This year I’ll be working on what looks like a spinoff. There will undoubtedly be more whining and beating-head-against-wall, because that’s the way I roll these days, it seems. Maybe that’s the way I always rolled. Who can remember?

It was a rocky year in many ways, private and public, but there were certainly some major bright spots, like the month in London, which resulted in so many discoveries and rediscoveries that I’ll continue to share them with you for at least the first half of 2026.

My talented assistant Jessica and I have set up my YouTube Channel, which will finally get some material in the coming weeks. This, I believe, will make it easier for you to watch the short videos. Squarespace is a good space for blogs/newsletters like this, but the process can get tedious and clumsy when one is uploading numerous videos, brief though mine are. Much simpler to offer a link, and let you view the things at a size of your own choosing.

You can also expect some reports from warmer climes as my husband and I make our annual escape to parts south. We’ll be trying a new location, and I’m looking forward to exploring and finding some history, nerdy or otherwise, to share with you. And/or botanical wonders. And/or other wonders.

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On the nerdy history front, historical novel author Susan Holloway Scott & I (aka Two Nerdy History Girls) will once again join our host, Meena Jain, Library Director, Ashland Public Library,* for conversation about the way people lived in the past. Unlike those secondary school history courses you may remember not so fondly, our chats don’t focus on politics and wars, but on daily living: what people wore, what they ate, how they traveled, how they managed hygiene, what their environments were like—that sort of thing. If you’d like to join us, please set aside 7-8PM on Monday 5 January for our gathering on Zoom. (Details here.) And don’t hesitate to bring questions. We won’t know all the answers, but we’ll do our best, then we’ll do some digging afterward for better information—because of, you know, the historical nerdiness of us. You can expect an official invitation/update in the coming days.

In other words, there’s plenty to look forward to.

So let’s say a cheerful Bye-Bye to 2025, and look forward with hope for a brighter, gentler, and more peaceful 2026. Thank you for spending time with me and my books. I’ll continue to try to make it worth your while.

*Ashland, Massachusetts

Happy Holidays

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Here in New England we’ve ridden a winter roller coaster, from arctic temperatures to something vaguely like spring. We’ve had snow at an untimely time as well as the dreaded icy mix and torrential downpours. We’ll probably go through another series of ups and downs before too long. It’s been good weather for staying in and reading, maybe thinking about characters and what to do with them.

I’m not sure that weather is a good excuse for my lack of communication with you. While in London, all I had to do was go places and share them. Then I came home to real life. That slowed my pace, which eventually came to a standstill as the holiday season seemed to rush in out of nowhere. But there’s a lot more to share from the London visit, along with news, and I plan to do better as the New Year gets rolling. As to the YouTube Channel: I’m definitely resolved to get that filled with, you know, YouTube things.

Thank you for taking the appearances and disappearances in stride, and for all the comments and messages. You’ve made me laugh and cry and grow a head several sizes too large. For better or worse, you’ve encouraged me to continue during difficult times. I’m one very fortunate author.

May yours be truly happy holidays, in exactly the form you like best: quiet and tranquil, lively and noisy, in crowds, in small groups, or peacefully solitary.